1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to methods and apparatuses for editing performance data in music, and particularly to methods and apparatuses for converting original performance data to execution data (or articulation data, i.e., data regarding symbols, techniques or styles of music performance) using execution icons (or articulation icons). In addition, this invention also relates to recording media storing programs for editing performance data.
This application is based on Patent Application No. Hei 11-267767 filed in Japan, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there are provided sound source devices (or execution-related sound sources) that are specially designed to store musical tones and sounds in connection with a variety of executions (i.e., symbols, techniques or styles of music performance) such as glissando and tremolo. Those sound source devices generate musical tone signals of high qualities in connection with the executions being designated. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 10-214083 discloses a musical tone generation technique in which tune data such as standard MIDI files (or SMF, where xe2x80x9cMIDIxe2x80x9d designates the known standard for xe2x80x9cMusical Instrument Digital Interfacexe2x80x9d) are subjected to analysis to discriminate executions so that the tune data are reproduced to include execution codes.
It is possible to propose a system that installs an execution-related sound source in addition to a normal sound source. Herein, even if the system receives data of multiple channels, the system is not limited in such a way that all the data of the multiple channels are supplied to the execution-related sound source, so that a part of the data is supplied to the normal sound source. Conventionally, however, the existing systems are designed such that all data are directly converted to execution data.
There is a probability in that the tune data include data which are irrelevant t o the executions). Due to such data, there is a possibility in that operational errors are caused to occur in conversion to the execution data. There are prescribed conversion rules how to convert original tune data to execution data. Conventionally, however, composers (e.g., users) are not allowed to control (or change) the conversion rules in the conventional systems.
It is an object of the invention to provide a performance data editing system that is capable of efficiently converting only necessary parts of normal performance data to execution related performance data with simple operation s and without errors.
It is another object of the invention to provide a performance data editing system by which a human operator or user is capable of changing conversion rules in conversion to execution data with ease.
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a performance data editing system which is configured by an input device for inputting performance data (e.g., MIDI data), an extraction device for extracting at least one data portion (or part) from the input performance data and a conversion device for converting the extracted data portion to execution-related data. Namely, the system is capable of converting only a necessary part of normal performance data to execution-related data, which is supplied to an execution-related sound source. In addition, a remaining part of the normal performance data is supplied to a normal sound source.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a performance data editing system which is configured by an input device for inputting performance data (e.g., MIDI data), a designation device for designating specific types of data within the input performance data and a conversion device for converting the designated specific types of data to execution-related data. Herein, the specific types of data are related to prescribed musical parameters (or events) such as attack, release, modulation and accent-plus-duration. Namely, the system is capable of converting only the specific types of events of tune data to execution-related data, wherein the designation device is capable of defining a relationship between specific types of events and their corresponding execution-related data (or execution icons, articulation icons) being produced by conversion.
According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a performance data editing system in which the designation device is capable of selecting a desired set of conversion rules from among plural sets of conversion rules which are stored in advance for conversion from the specific types of data to the corresponding execution-related data. In addition, the system also includes an editing device for editing the conversion rules under operations of users.